Orthodontic treatment is widely applied for repositioning teeth and supporting structures to improve tooth function and aesthetics. In conventional orthodontic treatment, appliances such as braces are applied to the patient's teeth by an orthodontist. Over time, the continuing force exerted by the appliance can urge teeth toward more favorable positions, often providing movement to the teeth in incremental steps with successive treatments.
Aspects of tooth function that are studied as part of orthodontics and other restorative treatments include proper occlusion, so that teeth in the upper jaw work successfully with corresponding teeth in the lower jaw. Occlusion determines how opposing teeth are positioned relative to each other, come into contact, and interact with each other in normal movement.
To define a dental treatment such as orthodontics or a restorative treatment in conventional practice, dentists typically manipulate one or more casts obtained from a patient's dental arches. One conventional method forms an occlusogram that displays the intersection between opposite teeth, using translucent papers, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,293,567 to Stanton. Using the cast, the projection of the teeth of the lower dental arch on an axial (horizontal) plane is reproduced on a first translucent paper. The projection of the teeth of the upper dental arch is reproduced on a second translucent paper. Both papers are then superimposed, providing a representation of the occlusal conditions. By dragging one of the translucent papers relative to the other, a representation of new occlusal conditions is obtained.
With the advent of digital imaging, there have been a number of solutions proposed for representing and displaying dental occlusion obtained from captured image data. Information for mapping, measurement, and analysis of occlusion conditions can be digitally obtained and processed to help support the orthodontist or other dental specialist in correcting problems and in providing the best arrangement of tooth structures for this purpose. Unfortunately, methods for display of maxillary (upper jaw) and mandibular (lower jaw) arch structures require the dental practitioner to analyze the information in one view, then to attend to the patient to address the positioning problem from a different view. In conventional displays of arch structures, for example, the incisors in either the maxillary or mandibular jaw have been displayed in one standard orientation only, requiring the practitioner to mentally provide the spatial transform that is needed to invert this visual information in order to suit the orientation of the mouth of the patient. It can be appreciated that there is a need for tools that enable the dental practitioner to change the orientation of a display for occlusion according to a selection that shows the area of interest.